His Best Man's Baby

by Lockwood, Tressie

  The front door slammed hard, and she jumped. Daniel took his time raising his head from where he nuzzled her neck and turned half-closed, lust filled eyes toward Jax. Tae looked too, and her fear turned to anger. She managed to break from Daniel’s hold and charged across the room toward Jax.

  “I guess I’m interrupt—” Jax began, but she cracked him across the cheek with an open palm. She drew back to do it again despite how her hand stung, but Jax stopped the attack. He frowned at her. “What the hell is your problem, Tae?”

  “What’s my problem? What’s yours? You left me stranded. You didn’t call, and you…” She clamped her teeth together. No way was she crying again or showing him how scared she was something had happened. He seemed to see it anyway, her terror and devastation. His strong grip on her wrist turned soft, and he drew her over to the couch to make her sit down. When she did, she didn’t look at him, instead blinking rapid fire at the table lamp.

  Daniel stood above them, clenching and unclenching his hands. Tae sensed his frustration, but she didn’t give a damn at the moment how he felt. He’d forced himself on her, and if she had thought one signal from her would have made him back off, then it wouldn’t have been an issue. Daniel had crossed the line.

  “Tae, please forgive me. Usually when you have that procedure it lasts another hour.”

  “So that’s your excuse for abandoning me?”

  “I didn’t abandon you.”

  “That’s not what I got.”

  Jax cast a glance at Daniel, his expression full of suspicion. “What did he tell you, baby?” He focused back on Tae, and she began to wonder.

  “Did you tell Daniel you can’t handle me and the baby anymore?”

  “Why would I do that when I asked you to move in with me this morning?”

  “You did what?” Daniel roared. “Maybe you don’t understand the fact that Tae loves me, and you’re in the way.”

  “No, you don’t understand. She’s mine, and she’s carrying my baby.” Jax jumped to his feet, getting into Daniel’s face. They were a close match in height and build, and Tae had seen them fight. She knew the damage both could do.

  “Only because you’re a lowlife who fucks another man’s woman the first chance he gets.”

  “Stop!” Tae moved between them and faced Daniel. “I need you to leave.”

  “Me?” He glared over her head at Jax. “What about him?”

  “I need to talk to him.”

  He didn’t move.

  “Now, Daniel, or do I need to call the police?”

  His eyes widened. “Tae, you know—”

  “Yes, but I asked you to go. Please.”

  With slumped shoulders, he crossed to the exit and wrenched open the door. She thought he’d look back at her, but he kept moving and disappeared. The door slammed behind him. Jax’s hands came around her waist, but she shoved him away and sat on the couch.

  “You’ve got two minutes to explain to me why you thought ignoring me because usually I take longer at the doctor was fine and dandy. In that time, you explain to me why Daniel told me you’re…you…” She coughed, clearing the lump from her throat. “You’re leaving me.”

  Amid her protests, Jax raised her up, sat down, and drew her onto his lap. She beat at his chest, and he let her do it. When he didn’t respond and she panted exhausted, she stopped and laid her head on his shoulder.

  “I thought you were shot again.” A sob escaped her. “I can’t do this, Jax.”

  “I know, baby.” He lifted her chin and made her look into his eyes. “That’s why I was at a job interview.”

  She gasped. “A what?”

  “First, let me show you this.”

  A lot of thoughts ran through her mind when he dug into his pocket, and her stomach knotted as she waited. No squeal of delight bubbled up in her throat when Jax brought out his cell phone. She blinked at it and then at him.

  His lopsided grin made her want to find a baseball bat.

  “It’s dead,” he explained. “Remember I dropped it on that last case, and I told you the connections were spotty?”

  “Yes, you hung up on me a million times.”

  He chuckled. “I promise I didn’t, baby. It’s the phone, and now it won’t hold a charge. I was going to take you with me to pick out a new one since this one is crap. I’m so sorry. I thought I had more time. The interview went longer than I expected, and by the time I drove to the clinic you were gone. They told me Daniel picked you up. That one red-headed nurse didn’t look too pleased with me dropping the ball like that.”

  “Yeah, nobody’s pleased with you. Least of all me.”

  “I beg your forgiveness and promise it won’t happen again.”

  “Stop making promises you can’t keep.”

  He held up a finger. “This time I can. I got the job.”

  “What job?”

  “A desk job where I will be safe to come home to my wife and son every night.”

  “Your what now?” Tae’s head swirled, and she thought she might fall over.

  Jax stood her on her feet. “Come on. It’s time for your afternoon nap, and isn’t this your scheduled day for working? Don’t want to fall behind. We’ll talk at dinner.”

  She mumbled protests, but he shuffled her along, kissed her forehead, and shut her into the bedroom. Tae cursed him out under breath and decided to accept him putting her off. If he didn’t mean what he insinuated, there was no sense in her pushing him to explain. The fact remained that Jax got a regular job for her and their child. The man was one in a million.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Tae stood in front of the full-length mirror as she often did and examined her body, also the norm. Her belly had dropped considerably, and any day now she would go into labor. The knowledge scared her and excited her at the same time. The bedroom door opened, and Jax strode in. “I forgot what you said to—” He stopped cold, his gaze on her nipples.

  Tae rolled her eyes. “You act like you’ve never see a naked woman before.”

  “Baby, I see you naked every day, and every day is the first time.”

  She glanced down and found a tent in his jeans. Men could not fake it. She grinned. “Well stop looking. I just got out of the shower, and you’re not going to get me dirty again.”

  He took a step in her direction. “Are you sure about that?”

  She retreated. “I mean it, Jax. You act like a horny teenager.”

  “Of course. You stopped denying me. I’m making up for lost time. Besides, my job is very hard, and I need a reward.”

  “Boy please, you head up the Special Investigations Unit at that insurance company. You’ve got lackeys to do the hard stuff, and they pay you well for it.” When Jax had shared the details of his new position and the salary amount, she’d let loose a whistle. Not only would he do some of the same work he used to do, but it would be steady pay with less danger. In addition to that, he got to train rookies in the field, and they actually looked up to him. The fact that she could tell he was happy in his new position was what did it for her more than anything and took away the guilt.

  “Mental anguish from dealing with idiots?” he suggested. “I need your tender loving care.”

  “Not falling for it.”

  He went into a long diatribe of why she should give in to his charms while he inched closer like she hadn’t noticed. Tae reviewed in her own thoughts how he hadn’t broached the subject of her being his wife again, but they were in the act of moving in together. Jax seemed to think that settled things. She saw it differently.

  Tae waited until he drew up in front of her and rested his hands on her waist, and his gaze locked onto her heavy breasts. “Jax?”

  “Hm?” His response was more a moan than anything else.

  “Do you love me?”

  He stilled and looked up at her. “How could you ask me that?”

  “It’s a question, Jax. Do you love me? If I weren’t pregnant, would you be with me?”

  “Tae…
”

  “I don’t like that I have to ask you.”

  He released her waist and backed up. Her heart faltered. “I’m not like Daniel, Tae.”

  Let me die right now. I can’t deal with this. No, that’s selfish. She shut her eyes and turned away. Her robe lay across the bed. She walked over to it and drew it on. Jax moved up behind her and helped her get her arms into the robe. He turned her shoulders and closed the garment, then belted it around her wide middle.

  She didn’t know she had started to cry until he brushed a thumb across her cheek to wipe away a tear.

  “We were great friends,” he said. “You and I would laugh and act stupid while Daniel was the mature one. We made fun of people when we were all out at a restaurant or went bowling.”

  “That’s when you didn’t have your tongue down some woman’s throat. I realize I’m probably cramping your style.”

  “You are my style. Now.”

  She cast him a confused glance. He led her to the rocking chair he’d bought a month ago and sat down in it then drew her onto his lap. Jax had told her he intended to sing to their baby in the chair. She had informed him he couldn’t hold a tune. He insisted he would give it a go. She’d pray for their poor baby.

  “We both had to change over the last few months because of our own choices,” he explained. “You didn’t intend to have kids, and I didn’t either, but we both want Little Jaxon, right?”

  She smiled. They had decided on that too, giving the baby Jax’s name. He would be a junior. “Yes, we do.”

  “I don’t regret those changes at all. I’m not missing my old job.” He held her face between two big palms to keep her focused on him. “I’m not missing sleeping with a different woman every other day.”

  “You were that much of a whore?”

  He grinned. “Focus, woman.”

  “Trying.”

  “If you didn’t get pregnant, I’d still be wanting to get in your panties, but I’d never approach you because of Daniel. If I felt like I do now back then, I would drop him in a heartbeat to get you. I have always wanted you, but the feeling has only grown.”

  She gaped.

  “What I’m saying is, I love you more than life. I can’t promise to say it every day or even often, because I can feel my face on fire telling you now. But I do love you, Tae. You and Jaxon are my entire world, and I’ll give up anything and anyone to keep you. Do you understand?”

  She nodded slowly, shocked beyond belief. The intensity in him blew her away. He wasn’t just spewing out words. His love seemed to go as deep as Daniel’s had, maybe even deeper. Tae lay on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you too, Jax. I have for a long time. Over these past months, we’ve developed, and you’re right, we changed, and we see the world differently. Little Jaxon did that for us, and I’m glad of where we are. Once upon a time, my career was the most important thing. Now I can’t wait until we bring him home to the nursery we set up at your house.”

  “Our house.” He fidgeted beneath her, and she wondered if she was getting too heavy. “Tae?”

  “Do you want me to get off your lap?”

  “No, I want you to look up.”

  She yawned and opened her eyes. When had she even shut them? Seeing what he held in his hand brought the squeal she’d expected months ago. “Is that…?”

  Jax popped the tiny black box open to reveal a dazzling diamond ring. “Tae, will you marry me?”

  “You’re slow, Jaxon Hart!”

  He winked. “I’m always on time.”

  “Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, I will marry you. Yes, yes, yes!”

  He slipped the ring on her finger and raised her hand toward his mouth. A flick of movement and he pressed his lips to her inner wrist. Her pulse raced out of control, her pussy clenching.

  “My wife,” he murmured.

  Tae melted against his chest. “Were you always confident I loved you or that I would choose you because you always seemed like it?”

  “Of course.”

  She smacked his arm. “Liar.”

  “Okay, I thought about what I would do if you left me for Daniel.”

  Tae saw the pain in his expression and the way he gripped the chair’s arm. She stroked his chest and kissed him. “It’s okay because I chose you.”

  “Good girl.”

  She smirked.

  “You love him though, don’t you, Tae?”

  “I did. I guess I kind of love him now, but I’m not in love with him anymore. He wasn’t the right one. I made that decision years ago, and this situation showed me I was right. Daniel is a great man. He really is, but not my great man.” She had never told Jax how Daniel basically threatened her and made her feel like she didn’t have a choice about being with him. Jax would have confronted Daniel, and things were bad enough with him knowing Daniel lied about him giving up on her and the baby. How Daniel thought he would get away with such a lie, she had no idea, but it caused a greater rift between them and with her and Daniel. In a way, she felt sorry for him. He was alone, without her, Alise, and Jax. Someone was always going to come out of this situation hurt. That was the nature of their tug-of-war, but she hoped more than anything that Daniel would some day find happiness again and let her go.

  Jax tapped her hip. “Hungry? I was thinking of trying out a new recipe.”

  “Aren’t we supposed to be finishing up with the moving?”

  “What’s this we you speak of, woman? You haven’t lifted a lamp.”

  She snorted. “Whose fault is that? If I break a nail, you throw a hissy fit.”

  He flared his nostrils. “I do not throw hissy fits.”

  Tae laughed at the offense in his bearing and climbed off his lap. Behind her, Jax grumbled.

  “You will be punished severely one of these days.”

  She spun to face him and flashed her boobs. His eyes glittered. She started to hurry away when a stabbing side pain stopped her cold. The next instant they both stared at the wet spot on the carpet beneath her feet.

  “Jax! My water—”

  “—just broke!” he finished. “Your bag is ready by the door. I’ll carry you to the car and come back up for it.”

  “I can walk.”

  He would hear no arguments, and they rushed out of the apartment. Before long, Tae lay in a hospital bed breathing through the pain. Zerita held her hand, encouraging her, and Jax stood on the other side, wiping her forehead. “Not long now, sweetie,” Zerita said of the contractions being five minutes apart. “You’re almost there.”

  Tae moaned. “Did anyone call my mother?”

  “I did,” Jax said. “She and your dad are going to fly down.”

  Hours later, after agony that felt like it would rip her sanity away, Tae gave birth to her sweet baby boy. She slept like the dead for a while and next opened her eyes to see her mom not far away, cooing to the baby in her arms. Tae turned her head, yawning to find Jax sitting on her other side, his hand in hers and him fast asleep.

  “Looks like you found a good one,” her mother said.

  Tae smiled, not taking her eyes off Jax. “I did.”

  “What’s my grandson’s name?”

  “Jaxon Devlin Hart, Jr.”

  Zerita pushed open the door. “Wow, Devlin? For real?”

  Tae laughed. “Yes, don’t make fun of my husband’s name or my son’s.”

  “Ohh, somebody acts like nobody ever had a man or a baby but her.”

  Tae snorted. “Don’t hate.”

  “Ladies,” her mother interrupted. “Do not use that disgusting slang around this infant. He will grow up to be a very intelligent gentleman, who is successful in his career and life.”

  Zerita met Tae’s eyes, and they both smiled. Tae’s mother always acted this way when a grandchild was born. She’d never thought her baby would be a part of the ritual. “You’re right, Ma, but what I want most for Little Jaxon is that he is happy and that he is loved.”

  “He is loved, just like his
mother.”

  At Jax’s voice, Tae turned back to him. His eyes were red with rings around them from lack of sleep. He’d seemed to go through as much as she during her labor and delivery. Through it all, he stuck by her. I can’t believe how blessed I am. “You should go home and rest,” she suggested to him.

  “I will in a little while.”

  Zerita kissed her cheek. “I’m going to go. If you need me, just call.” She leaned closer and whispered in Tae’s ear. “Your mom saw the rock.”

  Tae groaned. She turned to her fiancé. “Baby, I want you to go get something to eat in the cafeteria.”

  He was about to protest but seemed to pick up on what she wanted. He nodded, kissed her lips, kissed their son’s cheek, and left. Tae’s mother brought the baby to her as he started to fuss. “I think he’s hungry, Tae. Are you breastfeeding?”

  “Yes, Jax and I discussed it. We thought I’d give it a try. If Little Jaxon tries to kill me, I’m going to the bottle in a hot minute.”

  Her mother frowned at her attitude but nodded. They sat in silence while she fed the baby, and Tae glanced at the shimmering ring on her finger. Since she moved to Charlotte, she and her mom didn’t have a great relationship. Talking to her on the phone about the pregnancy resolved that issue as much as it could be resolved. Her mother still felt betrayed, but at least she wasn’t crying anymore.

  “Ma, I was wondering if you would consider planning my wedding. I know you’re good at that sort of thing, and it just wouldn’t turn out as well if you’re not the one handling it.” She prayed this olive branch would not turn out to be a big mistake.

  Her mother pressed both hands to her chest. “Do you mean it, Tae? I saw the ring, and I thought you left me out of your life again.”

  “No, I didn’t. I just knew you would come down here, and I wanted to talk about this face-to-face.” This was true, mostly. She had seen no other way to handle the situation. “I don’t want anything huge, just something for the family and our closest friends. I never thought I’d get married, but now I think nothing would make me happier than being Mrs. Jaxon Hart. I want it to be special.”

  Tae held her breath, waiting for her mother’s response. In truth, while she still valued her personal space when it came to her family, she did want her mother’s involvement—controlled involvement. She wanted her son to know his grandparents and extended family.